7 of 14The front corner of the Ford Atlas Concept that debuted at the Detroit auto show.

Photo by Brad Constant

8 of 14The side of the Ford Atlas Concept at the North American International Auto Show.

Photo by Brad Constant

9 of 14The rear corner of the Ford Atlas Concept at NAIAS.

Photo by Brad Constant

10 of 14The rear of the Ford Atlas Concept at the Detroit auto show.

Photo by Brad Constant

11 of 14The tailgate of the Ford Atlas concept.

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12 of 14The cargo bed of the Ford Atlas concept uses LED lighting.

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13 of 14A closer look at the gauges in the Ford Atlas concept pickup.

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14 of 14A side view of the Ford Atlas concept pickup.

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The Ford Atlas concept may not get the type of attention heaped upon the 2014 Corvette Stingray. But what we saw at the Detroit auto show was a strong hint at the next F-series pickup truck that will hit the roads for the 2015 model year. And it will bring some significant technologies and features to the world of pickups when it does roll into showroom floors.

The technologies and features of concept vehicles don’t always end up on the production version, but those displayed on the Ford Atlas are practical. It is reasonable to say that many of them will be featured on the 2015 F-150.

We’re talking about fuel-efficiency-boosting technologies such as the active grille and wheel shutters. The grille shutters remain open at lower speeds or when the truck needs more air for cooling, but they close at highway speeds to help move air around the truck. The wheel shutters work in much the same way, lowering at highway speeds to help reduce drag. There is even a drop-down front air dam that lowers, once again at highway speeds, to smooth the airflow around and under the truck. The only thing missing is a tonneau cover -- throw one on, and the drag generated by this truck is reduced even more.

Ford’s next-generation EcoBoost engines will have an auto stop/start engine system to add to the fuel savings. We expect them to have capability similar to the current 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6, which is an impressive powerplant capable of pulling more than 11,000 pounds.

But the most important piece of the Atlas puzzle is its rumored use of aluminum and high-strength steel in the frame, instead of ordinary heavy-gauge steel. The weight-reduction benefits of using aluminum will directly translate to improved fuel-economy numbers.

There are many cars out there that use extensive, if not full, aluminum frames -- the Jaguar XJ and Corvette Z06/ZR1 come to mind. Aluminum isn’t an exotic metal, but it does cost more to manufacture than steel, as do high-strength steels. That begs the question: Will the price of the F-150 go up compared to the current model, and by how much?

Ford has to be cautious. The F-series is the heaviest hitter in the truck market, and the truck’s contributed more than 620,000 units to Ford’s 2012 sales figures. When Atlas-based F-series trucks hit the road in 2015, the rest of the pickup world will have to play some major catch up . . . again.